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Create your own adventure in Colorado’s Grand Valley
Nestled between the western slope of the Rockies and Utah’s Moab Valley, this breathtaking area offers unparalleled access to nationally renowned bike trails, wineries and water play within minutes of your home. Here, quality of life means you can get a house with a yard – and room for that new camper. Your kids can play freely on your block. And things like traffic and congested public transportation are things of the past.
Best of all, we have some amazing employers eager to offer you a flexible, remote work situation, so that you can have your cake and eat it too.
Discover why Colorado’s West Slope is the best slope
reason 01
It’s for every type of “Outdoorsy”
Named a “Top-Notch Adventure Town” by Outside magazine, there’s no shortage of outdoor recreation. From floating down the Colorado River, riding ATVs in the desert and shredding fresh powder on top of the world’s largest flat top mountain, to thousands of miles of trails for hiking, mountain-biking and horseback-riding, you name it, we’ve got it.
1 ski resort
2 rivers
5 golf courses
300 lakes
1000s OF MILES OF TRAILS
But if your idea of bonding with nature is eating farm-to-fork, taking in a concert in the park or having happy hour on a rooftop patio, we’ve got you covered too.
1 Certified Creative District
3 Historic Downtowns
30+ Vineyards & Orchards
The Grand Valley is home to:
- Josh Niernberg, one of the renowned Colorado Five chefs
- Colorado Mountain Winefest – named #1 wine festival by USA Today
- Dozens of fairs and festivals – from major music events (Country Jam) to the obscure (Mike the Headless Chicken Festival)
- Valley-wide Food Truck Fridays and Farmer’s Markets
reason 02
It’s easy to get around
In Town….
Officially, the average commute for residents in Mesa County is 17 minutes one-way. Ask a resident, and that’s about the time it’ll take you to drive from Palisade on the east end of the valley, to Fruita on the west side. If you live in Grand Junction, you’re ten minutes or less from anything important. But if you want to get away… well, you can escape into the mountains, the desert or down river in under an hour.
Out of Town…
The Grand Valley is equidistance between Denver and Salt Lake City – and it’ll take you about 4 hours on I-70 to get you to either city. Or you can fly there in about an hour. Grand Junction Regional Airport – named 2021 Colorado Airport of the Year – gets you quickly and comfortably to 7 key destinations including L.A., San Francisco, Dallas and Phoenix. An hour south, Montrose Regional Airport offers additional destinations, like New York, Atlanta and Charlotte, to name a few.
reason 03
You can stretch your paycheck farther
Thanks to lower taxes, more affordable homes and proximity to fresh food, the overall cost of living in Colorado’s Grand Valley is significantly less than in major metros. The average single-family home in Grand Junction costs just under $300,000 – or nearly half the price of a Denver home.
% Higher Cost of Living compared to Grand Junction
Highlight
The Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com recently named Grand Junction the #39 Emerging Housing Market in the U.S. – and #2 in Colorado. The criteria: that it provides a strong return on investment when you buy a home and it’s a nice place to live.
reason 04
It offers opportunity
We sincerely hope you’ve already landed your dream job and now you’re just figuring out where to plop your laptop. But if your current job turns into something less than dreamy, rest assured that there’s plenty of opportunity for you in the Grand Valley.
If you’ve got your heart set on another remote job, explore our job board and some of the key local employers hiring remote.
If you want explore local opportunities, get more individualized career mentorship, or pump up your resume with some new skills, the Mesa County Workforce Center offers lots of services and classes free of charge. And if it’s your spouse or partner looking for a job, we’ve got programs to help them too.
reason 05
…and community
If you’re new to town, it might take you a minute to find your new tribe. Lucky for you, the Grand Valley is known for a smalltown, friendly atmosphere where everyone is only 2 degrees separated from your next, best friend.
Here are three ways to connect right now:
1. Start following these Grand Valley hashtags on your social networks for news, tips and leads on groups and events:
#TheNewWest
#westslopebestslope
2. Get connected with the GJEP Welcome Wagon, our official “onboarding” program for new residents. Aside from quarterly happy hours, behind-the-scenes tours, group hikes and other fun networking events, we’ll match you with a local who will be your own, personal guide to the Valley.
3. Pick your purpose. It sounds cheesy, but a big reason that the Grand Valley has survived through multiple recessions and hardships to become a thriving community is because we take care of each other and our surroundings. Some people do it through their local church group, some volunteer for local charities, others join an annual river cleanup or become mentors through numerous programs to foster our youth and burgeoning entrepreneurs. Whatever cause lies close to your heart, GJEP can help you find a group that shares your passion and purpose.